The Neo 2 From Rotolight Could be a Portrait Photographer's New Best Friend.

LEDs are one of the best things to happen to photography in years. They're the equivalent of going from film to digital. One of the best things they can be used for is getting strong soft light from a small, portable body that uses very little power.

The Neo 2 from Rotolight is a great example of the versatility and usability of LEDs. You can use it to shoot continuous light, as if it was a large bank of kinos, except it can also do a flash sync and it fits on your camera. So you can take pictures like this.

On top of that, it has a Skyport2.4GHz HSS wireless flash receiver built in that allows it to be connected to up to four groups of 10 lights at ranges up to 656ft while using it with the Rotolight HSS transmitter. It's a pretty impressive piece of kit.

A revolutionary all-in-one High Speed Sync flash and continuous light for photographers and filmmakers

The dawn of a new age of on-camera lighting

Pinewood Studios, London, 4th September 2017: Rotolight, award-winning British LED lighting manufacturer, has announced the launch of an industry-first, all in one High Speed Sync (HSS) Flash and continuous on-camera LED lighting innovation, NEO 2. Unlike traditional on-camera flash, NEO 2 has no recycle time, which ensures users never miss a shot, making it the perfect light choice for today's modern high-frame-rate-capable cameras.

NEO 2 can be simultaneously a continuous 'modelling light' and HSS flash, allowing the photographer to easily acquire focus in dimly lit situations and optimise composition.

Designed for portrait photographers and videographers on the go, NEO 2 provides the 'shoot what you see' benefits of continuous light, and the flexibility of HSS flash (1/8000th sec.) with 500% flash output, whenever users need more power or to freeze action. HSS also enables users to shoot with wider apertures to create beautiful separation between subject and backgrounds.

Rotolight has collaborated with Elinchrom to integrate its 'Skyport' 2.4Ghz HSS wireless flash receiver into NEO 2, eliminating the need to purchase a standalone flash receiver, whilst providing rock-solid reliability, range, flexibility and control for multiple off camera lighting setups. Skyport enables users to wirelessly control up to 10 lights, in four groups at up to 200m(656ft) with the new Rotolight HSS transmitter, optimised for Rotolight by Elinchrom. It is available on launch for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Panasonic, and, shortly, Fuji camera systems, and compatible with all other Elinchrom Skyport devices.

"The NEO 2 is going to revolutionise how people use light, and eliminate the need for external flash. If you have those moments that you just cannot afford to miss, this is an incredible light for you. You'll never miss a shot," says Jason Lanier, a Sony Artisan of Imagery and professional photographer.

"I tested NEO 2 on a Sony A6500 at 11 frames per second," explains Lanier. "It fired every single time. There's genuinely no recycle time, no light loss, no power loss. That is just a game-changer, there is no other light in the world that can do that."

Lightweight and portable, NEO 2 can be mounted both on or off camera for ultimate creative control. Delivering the longest battery life of any speedlight or flash, ever made, NEO 2 provides 85,000 full power flashes on a single set of rechargeable AA batteries, compared to the 200 flashes of a typical speedlight. Now 85% brighter in continuous mode than its predecessor, NEO 2 is a small light that delivers big results.

"It enables photographers to spend more time composing the perfect shot, rather than spending time on cumbersome lighting setups. For those shooting both stills and video, it entirely eliminates the need for two separate purchases," says Rod Aaron Gammons, managing director of Rotolight.

Packed with innovative features for video users, NEO 2 is ideal for interviews and filmmaking. It includes an updated suite of CineSFX™ effects, Rotolight's award-winning feature set for video productions/ filmmaking, (fire, lightning, TV, gunshot, paparazzi and others), as well as Designer Fade mode for custom in-camera fade FX.

Rotolight NEO 2 is available as a single light, including a belt pouch, accessory shoe, power supply and four-piece filter pack including diffusion, skin tone and magenta, or as a three-light kit with hard flight case, stands and ball heads. Optional accessories include softboxes, raincovers, and 10-piece colour filter pack.